Those Meddling Kids... Trivia Quiz

Answer: Valerie, Alexandra, Alan

Based on characters from Archie Comics, "Josie and the Pussy Cats" aired sixteen episodes during the 1970-1971 season on CBS. The show focused on a band featuring Josie (lead guitar), Valerie (tambourine), and Melody (vocals). Valerie, who was probably the most intelligent and mechanically inclined of the group was one of the first female African-American characters in American television cartoons. The show also featured Alan (the band's roadie and Josie's love interest), Alexander (the manager of the band), Alexandra (his sister), and Sebastian (Alexandra's cat). In each episode, the cast would be en-route to a new performance site when they would encounter a mystery to be solved. Hi-jinks ensued. Songs, presumably by the band, formed the soundtrack of the episode.

In the 1972 season, the group (with the addition of the alien Bleep) would return for sixteen episodes with "Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space". Both series first aired on CBS in the United States.

Answer: April, Augie, Skip

The Funky Phantom was the ghost of a Revolutionary War soldier. Voice actor Daws Butler used a very similar technique to the one he previously used to voice Snagglepuss the Lion. The show aired during the 1971-1972 season on ABC for 17 episodes. Teenagers Skip, April, and Augie and their dog Elmo released the ghosts of the Funky Phantom (Jonathan Wellington "Mudsy" Muddlemore) and his cat Boo from a grandfather clock where they had been trapped. Though the group did not form a band, they did solve half-hour mysteries. Comics based on the show were also released in the 1970s.

Answer: Henry, Suzie, Flip

The character of Charlie Chan originally appeared in a series of novels written in the 1920s and 1930s by author Earl Derr Biggers. In the 1930s and 1940s, a popular series movies followed starring Warner Oland, Sidney Toler and Roland Winters at different times as the titular detective. In this series from the 1972-1973 television series, Keye Luke (who played "Number One son" in the movies) portrayed Charlie, at the time the first actor of Chinese descent to do so.

The sixteen episodes of the show aired initially on CBS in the United States. The show featured Charlie, his ten children, including Henry, Suzie, and Flip, and their dog Chu Chu. The older children had a band that would perform most episodes, between solving mysteries. The show also featured the children's van that could be transformed into various other vehicles--as shown in the opening credits. The roles of the children, cast with Chinese-American voice actors, were recast with mostly Caucasian voice actors with the claim that the accents of the original actors would be hard for television audiences to follow.

Answer: Wally, Stephanie, Merilee

Though the title is similar to the 1969 film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", the similarities end there. This show features the members of a popular band: Butch Cassidy (lead vocals, lead guitar and lead singing), Merilee (tambourine), sensible Stephanie or Steffy (bass guitar), and Wally (drums). With their dog, Elvis, they led a double life as a secret crime fighting team for the government.

The 13 episodes of the series aired first on NBC in the United States. The band also appeared in some comics of the 1970s.

Answer: Ted, Tina, Gillie

"Goober and the Ghost Chasers" ran on ABC in the United States for sixteen episodes during the 1973-1974 television season. In this cartoon, Goober was a dog (sound familiar) who had the uncontrolled power to temporarily turn invisible. In an odd-bit of series crossovers, the kids of the Partridge Family (minus Keith) appeared as guest stars in about half of the episodes. Goober shared the spotlight with Ted, Tina, and Gillie.

Answer: Tinker, Mark, Debbie

While "Speed Buggy" originally aired its sixteen episodes on CBS in the United States during the 1973-1974 television series, the show also aired on NBC and ABC during the 1970s. With "Speed Buggy", the formula changes slightly as the animal mascot was the titular character doubled as a vehicle (ala the "Mystery Machine"). Speed Buggy was voiced by legendary voice actor Mel Blanc.

The other regular characters were Mark, Debbie, and Tinker, who was the mechanic as well as Speed Buggy's driver.

Answer: Larry, Pepper, Dottie

"Clue Club" first aired on CBS in the United States during the 1976-1977 television season. The next year, the show's re-aired under the new title "Woofer & Wimper, Dog Detectives". In addition to the dogs Woofer and Wimper, the human members of the detective agency were Larry, Pepper, D. D., and Dottie. Pepper and Dottie were sisters.

They often worked together with law enforcement in the episodes.

Answer: Biff, Shelly, Bubbles

Airing on ABC in the United States during the 1976-1977 television season, "Jabberjaw" ran for 16 episodes. The titular character served as the drummer in a band called the Neptunes that also included Biff (guitar), Shelly (tambourine), Bubbles (keyboards), and Clamhead (bass).

The character lived in an underwater civilization in the year 2076. Between gigs they would solve crimes. Voiced by legendary voice actor Frank Welker, Jabberjaw combined characteristics of Curly Howard and Rodney Dangerfield. Jabberjaw and the other characters periodically made appearances in other animated productions.

Answer: Cindy Mae, Woody, Goofer

"The Buford Files" was a fifteen-minute animated segment that aired alongside "The Galloping Ghost" during the 1978-1979 animated season. The thirteen episodes aired on NBC during its first run. Buford was a bloodhound who aided human teens Cindy Mae and Woody in solving crimes in and around the swamp near where they lived.

They often outshone the local law enforcement: Sheriff Muletrain Pettigrew and his deputy, Goofer McGee.

Answer: Micky, Nita, Billy Joe

Eleven episodes of "The New Shmoo" aired on NBC during the 1979-1980 television season. Moving beyond animal and even mechanical sidekicks, the Shmoo was a character that originated in Al Capp's comic strip, "Li'l Abner". The Shmoo, along with his human teen friends Micky, Nita, and Billy Joe, solved mysteries.

In a "sing-along" segment on the cartoon, the Shmoo--who was able to change his shape--became a bouncing ball that accompanying the lyrics to songs so television viewers could sing along.

After the show was cancelled, five additional episodes aired as part of the package show "Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo".